Mercy's Eyes Are Blue
by Bakageta
Summary: Byakuya is badly injured in battle and is near death. He is brought to the fourth division where he runs into an old acquaintance. ByaRetsu Multi Chapter.
1. One By One All Day

Mercy's Eye's Are Blue

Prologue: One By One All Day

Bakageta

'_Mercy's eyes are blue_

_And when she places them in front of you_

_Nothing holds a Roman Candle to_

_The solemn warmth you feel inside.'_

_- The Shins; 'Saint Simon'_

He hurt, all over.

"I need a room, now."

He had been moving, being pushed along.

"Good luck, we're full up."

Now, he had stopped. The change in momentum shifted his body and disturbing his wounds.

"No, seriously. Look who's on this gurney."

"Whoa... Damn... It must be pretty bad out there."

He shouldn't be here, he was too strong. He needed to be out fighting.

"You're telling me, I just came back from the front lines, hollows everywhere."

"Anyway, there's only a couple guys from the Eleventh with broken legs in room two-sixty-three, I'll get Kyoten-san to kick them out. I'll take him there, you tell Unohana-Taicho."

"Why do I have to tell her? I wanna watch Kyoten-san"

"I've got rank and you need to get back out there."

"Ah... pulling rank, ouch. Fine."

"The glories of position, huh, Taicho-san? Now lets see what happened to you... been run through mmm... three times at least. Left arm hanging on by tendons and the right wrist broken. A chunk of thigh almost gone and too many cuts and abrasions to count."

He'd had worse injuries, but then healing had only been a few minutes away, and he hadn't bled for as long as he had this time.

"Damn, I hope you got your affairs in order 'cause you, Kuchiki Byakuya, are one messed up guy."

More movement, and more pain; this time it was too much and he blacked out.

_**Authors Note:**_ This story occurs during The Arrancar War near the end. This means that it will almost assuredly become AU.


	2. Enough To Make Me Nervous

Mercy's Eye's Are Blue

Chapter One: Enough To Make Me Nervous

Bakageta

'_Girl inform me all my senses warn me_

_Your clever eyes could easily disguise_

_Some backwards purpose_

_It's enough to make me nervous._

_Do you harbor sighs, or spit in my eye?'_

_-The Shins; 'Girl Inform Me'_

He heard voices, annoying ones.

"Oh-my-god! Burei-kun! What the hell are you doing!?" A high pitched, loud female voice shouted, he could have almost sworn, right in his ear.

"I'm eating lunch in a coma patient's room." A second voice, presumably Burei-kun, he sounded casual perhaps even lazy.

"Do you know whose room this is!?"

"'Course I do, Shinsetsu-sempai. It's Kuchiki Byakuya's."

"Then _why_ are you here!?"

"This room is fifty steps closer to my station than the lunchroom. And it's much less crowded."

"Seriously!? Burei I am ashamed of you! If Unohana-Taicho ever found out you'd be in huge, major trouble!"

"Shinsetsu-sempai?"

"Don't make any excuses! You're lucky I like you, or else I'd report you!"

"Shinsetsu-sempai?"

"What!?"

"Kuchiki-sama's awake."

"What!? Why didn't you tell me sooner!?"

"You were on a tangent."

"Shush! I'm terribly sorry Kuchiki-Taicho-sama! Burei-san is new—"

"Am not."

"—And he isn't used to the way things are run around here."

"Are so."

"I'll make sure he's dealt with properly."

"You better not."

"Now is there anything I can do for you?"

Byakuya opened his eyes and winced as the light made his medicine headache throb. Nevertheless he managed a glare and a slight spike in his currently weak reiatsu.

"I would like," He ground out in an uncharacteristic way, "for you to both shut up and leave me alone." Then he passed out.

* * *

When Byakuya woke next he felt as if his whole head had been stuffed with cotton. Better than a pounding headache, but not by much. He cracked open his eyes and when he wasn't blinded by pain he looked around.

He was in a bed, not a futon, by a window whose curtains were closed. In the center was a low table with two places set with teacups, upside down to keep the dust that had settled on their out sides from reaching their insides. One of the places was occupied by a male fourth division Shinigami who was reading a book.

"Ah, good to see you're awake, Sleeping Beauty." He said when he noticed Byakuya was cognizant. Byakuya recognized his voice as the lazy one from his first attempt at waking up, Burei. "Glad I didn't have to kiss you, you're not my type. I prefer boobs."

"How long was I unconscious?" Byakuya asked, trying vainly to sit up.

"Month, month and a half, I'm not really sure. The monotony of it all blends together. Now if you'll excuse me I'll get Unohana-Taicho, she keeps records like Shinsetsu is always nagging me to."

He left before Byakuya could ask anymore questions. He tried to piece together what had happened that had put him in the hospital.

He had been on a border patrol around Karakura Town along with three other seated Shinigami when roughly six low to mid level Arrancar had attacked. Roughly six because one had been able to duplicate himself, one more could disguise himself as nearly anyone, and another had been able to create weak mirror images of anyone with in range all of them together making great distractions and cannon fodder. The seated officers had been picked off one by one and his memory got fuzzier and fuzzier after that as his wounds began to take their toll on him until there was nothing to remember.

His injuries had been severe, this much he knew, but he hadn't thought he'd been injured enough to be paralyzed below the neck as he seemed to be now. He couldn't see the rest of himself though so he had no way of telling what kind of shape he was in.

The door made a quiet clunk and Byakuya watched Unohana Retsu come in, she was carrying a steaming teapot.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Byakuya-san, I wanted to wait until you were stabilized to talk to you." Retsu said with a warm smile as she sat at one side of the table and began cleaning the cups off after setting the teapot in the center. "I'm here to answer any questions you may have about your treatment and recovery."

"Why am I paralyzed? There is no need for you to be so familiar Unohana-Taicho."

"Ooh, cold. Sorry, Kuchiki-sama. I have gotten into the habit of considering you a friend, after all, our clans themselves are."

"My question." He reminded her unsubtly.

"Ah, yes." She walked over to his bedside. "The paralysis was a necessary measure to prevent movement while you were recovering. Your body was in so much pain that it was overcoming the medicine we were using to keep you in a coma. Because of this I had to use Minazuki to disconnect your brain from your nerves. One of the reasons I am here is to restore your movement."

"When can I be released?"

"Ahh... that is tricky Kuchiki-sama. Your wounds were very extensive, I barely managed to save your left arm and I'm not entirely sure if you've even regrown enough muscle tissue in your right thigh for you to even stand up—not even counting the degeneration that occurred while you were unconscious. Your right wrist has begun to heal, but if you bang it out of alignment even slightly I'll have to re-brake it if it is to remain functional enough for battle. There are also your stab wounds to consider, they are mostly healed now, but too much strain and they will tear open. It will take at least two months for you to heal and then the physical therapy will be another six months at best."

"Hmm..." He mumbled.

"It's a lot to take in, I know. Now I will reconnect your nerves, if there is too much pain I can give you suppressants."

"No suppressants." Byakuya said with a glare.

Unohana paused, "Okay."

She drew her sword from its sheath and held it parallel to and a few inches above Byakuya's still body with its hilt near his head.

"Minazuki, Yawarageru." Retsu commanded and drew her hand down Minazuki's length, straightening the blade. "Nagusameru." Then she gripped the sword just under its guard and opened it again slowly leaving her palm on the flat of the blade. Byakuya gasped and then winced as his pain became his own once more.

Retsu turned to the tea, which had finally cooled enough to drink, and poured a cup for herself and for the injured noble. She held the cup to his mouth and allowed it to slowly trickle into his mouth. Then she drank her own, all in silence.

"If you need anything, Kuchiki-sama," Retsu said, leaning over his bed, "Do not hesitate to call me."

"I do not believe that will be necessary." He said stiffly.

_**Notes**_

- Yawarageru, Nagusameru: Means soothe the pain, soothe the person, at least according to my Japanese dictionary. If you can prove me wrong I'll change it willingly.

- Unohana's Zanpakuto: Everywhere I've looked I've seen the giant manta ray thing listed as her shikai, but that doesn't make sense to me. Minazuki is both large enough and useful enough to be a bankai. We also never see it get released, which is the most definite way of telling the difference between shikai and bankai, so it could easily be either one.


	3. Churning Random Hearts

Mercy's Eye's Are Blue

Chapter Two: Churning Random Hearts

Bakageta

'_Of all the churning random hearts under the sun_

_Eventually fading into night_

_These two are opening now_

_As we lie I touch you wonderful alive'_

_-The Shins; 'Sealegs'_

He had been in recovery for two months. For the second time in his life Kuchiki Byakuya felt utterly useless. It was just like watching his wife drift away, only this time he was watching himself.

In the time since Unohana had unsealed his nerves all he had done was lie in his hospital room. He had been kept up to date on the events of the war by weekly reports from Renji, but he felt like a dead weight on his own division. All he had been able to do was offer general advice to his Vice Captain while Renji made most of the active decisions.

He wondered if this was how Hisana had felt.

"Kuchiki-sama?" Shinsetsu, the female nurse, said quietly from outside his room. "I'm here to take you to Unohana-Taicho. We'll be starting your physical therapy today. May I come in?"

Byakuya looked up from his thoughts. He was glad to finally hear good news.

"You may." He answered.

Shinsetsu came in backwards, pushing the door open with her rear and leading in a wheelchair.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "Is that really necessary?" He asked glancing at the chair.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but all patients must be moved either on a gurney or in a wheelchair. It is division policy."

"Hn." Byakuya mumbled noncommittally and shifted the covers off of himself revealing the thick bandages around his right thigh, the bandages and brace around his left arm, and a second splint and tightly wrapped bandage covering his right wrist and hand.

He shifted himself into the wheelchair, carefully so as not to strain his still tender wounds. Unohana had been using a staggered method of healing the wounds caused by his impalements, his missing thigh muscle, and his reattached arm so that they would heal with minimal scarring and not prevent him from fighting. The only downside was that it took longer to complete as careful attention had to be paid to the exact way the wounds healed and because of this the body couldn't be allowed to heal itself. This was especially true with the missing muscle in his thigh which needed to be completely regenerated.

As he was pushed through the hallways of the Fourth Division, Byakuya tried his best to look dignified. He ignored the stares and double takes directed at him with the same blank expression he always used to hide his feelings.

Byakuya was relieved when they reached the room where the therapy would take place. It was a large room; its center was clear and open while the sides were crowded with what almost seemed like torture devices. Standing in the center was Unohana and the male nurse Burei.

"Welcome to physical therapy, Kuchiki-sama." Unohana said with a bow. "Normally this would be a group therapy, but I realize that it is not good for morale to see a Captain such as you in such condition. You will come to PT daily for two hours; either Burei-kun or I will assist you."

"Now," Burei said, cracking his knuckles, "let's begin."

Byakuya was too dignified to gulp.

* * *

When Byakuya returned to his room he felt nearly as bad as he had after fighting the Kurosaki brat. The only difference was that this time he wasn't nearly as grievously injured, though he felt he was tired enough to be.

He felt almost ashamed of himself despite Unohana's assurances that all beginning therapy patients tired as easily as he had. It came with being immobile for so long she said. He believed her because the alternative was too dishonorable, that he had been winded by a few simple stretches. What really bothered him was that Burei had needed to help him to finish the last few exercises.

It had taken all of his patience and restraint to keep from yelling at the other man, as well as Unohana for putting him through the therapy. He had needed to constantly remind himself that it could have been worse. Now all Byakuya wanted to do was to fall asleep.

"Your Vice-Captain's here." Byakuya glared at the closed door where Burei's voice came from. "Want me to send him in and then play loud music to cover up any… noises?"

"You can come in, Abarai-Fukutaichou." Byakuya said, pointedly ignoring Burei.

"I'm here to deliver the weekly report, Kuchiki-Taichou." Renji said as he came in, closing the door behind him.

"Hmm…" Byakuya mumbled, he was tired but needed to pay attention to his Vice-Captain's words.

"In short it has been much the same as it has for the last few months, Sir. Numeros Arrancar striking randomly at patrols, the Captain-Commander believes that Aizen is trying to buy time after Inoue-san nearly succeeded in destroying the Hyogyoku." Renji began.

"And what does Urahara think?"

"He hasn't said anything."

"What will you do, Abarai?" Byakuya asked, it was likely Renji would be chosen to fill one of the vacated captain positions and if he was to be successful he would need to be able to think for himself.

"Continue patrols, but add more men to the individual patrol squads, try to minimize casualties until Urahara comes up with a plan."

"Good, that's what you do then."

"Sir." Renji said and then left with a respectful bow.

Byakuya sighed. This kind of waiting game that was going on was bad. Even if they were careful, casualties and injuries would pile up; and when they got high enough Aizen would attack en masse.

Byakuya fell asleep with thoughts of war buzzing in his head.

* * *

Weeks later, in therapy, Retsu had good news for Byakuya.

"Byakuya-sama," She began after he had finished his daily stretches, this time without help from Burei, "your wounds are now fully healed and I will be removing the bandages and the splint. However, I'm leaving the brace on your left arm; a replantation of that extent needs as much chance to heal as is possible."

"That is good." Byakuya no longer bothered correcting her on the use of his given name. He had, over the course of weeks, learned that she was a very friendly person and insisted on being on a first name basis with all of her patients. She had disregarded all of his protests without seeming rude and he had eventually grown to accept it.

"Yes, it is, and tomorrow I think we can begin re-familiarizing your body with sword movements."

Byakuya looked forward to it.

_**Notes:**_ So, another chapter. It's kinda short, but I didn't want to drag it out and take away from the next chapter.


	4. The Past And Pending

Mercy's Eyes Are Blue

Chapter Three: The Past and Pending

Bakageta

'_Blind to the last curse of the fair pistols and countless eyes_

_A trail of white blood betrays the reckless route your craft is running_

_Feed till the sun turns into wood, dousing an ancient torch_

_Loiter the whole day through and lose yourself in lines dissecting love.'_

_-The Shins; 'The Past and Pending'_

The next day, as Byakuya was wheeled across the division to the PT room, he found the constant stares were easier to ignore. He was nearly recovered, he could deal with it. The promise of reconditioning himself to Senbonzakura had lifted his spirits so much that he had been uncharacteristically unable to sleep. He looked forward to being reunited with his Zanpakuto, which had been in Retsu's keeping since his hospitalization.

He stood from the shameful wheelchair as soon as he was inside the PT room. Retsu and Burei were waiting as usual.

"It's good to see you didn't chicken out, Kuchiki." Burei said as Byakuya walked toward him and his Captain. Byakuya ignored him completely and looked to Retsu.

"Don't look at me Byakuya-sama, I'm only supervising. Burei-kun is a specialized expert in this kind of battle preparation therapy; in this field he outstrips me by far."

"Fine," Byakuya said resignedly, "I will work with him if I must."

"Any other whiney-ass complaints?" Burei asked. "None? Good. Here's your bokken." Byakuya glared as he caught the thrown practice sword out of the air, nearly fumbling it.

"It's light." Byakuya commented as he hefted the bokken.

"Yup, one-fourth the weight of your Zanpakuto. I wouldn't want you bailing out after your first day."

Byakuya glared at him.

"Oh, stop, you're making me blush. Now I'm going to show you some kata, pay attention." Burei then flowed into motion.

He moved quickly, but Byakuya was able to pick out the nostalgic motions of the first Kata taught to all academy students. Burei had drawn his sword horizontally and had brought it down in a vertical strike before Byakuya had recognized the Kata. He made a series of three diagonal cuts, and then he turned while making a rising slice. Burei brought his sword down in another diagonal motion, he stepped forward stabbing straight into the air, and finally he brought his sword whistling around him in a horizontal cut followed immediately by a downward vertical blow.

"That was the first ten steps of the first kata, and you," Burei said, poking Byakuya with his now sheathed sword, "are going to repeat it until I'm satisfied, or your arm falls off again. Whichever comes first."

Byakuya made no comment and moved as if drawing his bokken from a sheath, completing the first motion of the kata and slowly merging into the second then the third and so on. When he reached the kata's end he began it over again.

When he started to go through it for perhaps the seventh time he felt a dull pain in his left arm. However, he was sure Retsu wouldn't have let him begin reconditioning himself unless she was sure his wounds were recovered enough to do so. He worked through the pain, not wanting to need to stop.

After he had completed another three sets of the first kata the pain had intensified, he was barely able to keep it from showing on his face. As he moved further into the repetitive kata the pain kept increasing until he was forced to slow down. He had been careful to keep his injured arm out of view of Burei and Retsu, if they saw anything they would halt his therapy and he didn't want that to happen.

Now the pain was so much that he was forced to slow his movements even more so in order keep from grimacing at the agony he was in. His arm felt wet and he was having trouble grasping the practice sword with his left hand. As he completed his current kata he glanced down and noticed that his entire left sleeve was blood soaked from his upper arm down. In shock the bokken dropped from his hands, clattering on the floor drawing Burei's attention from his own kata and Retsu from the paperwork that she had brought.

Burei cursed loudly as he closed the short distance between himself and Byakuya. "You idiot! Lay down!"

Byakuya looked up from his arm, and complied once Burei repeated his order.

"Moronic nobles and their goddamn stick-up-their-asses pride…" Burei grumbled as he tore Byakuya's sleeve away to reveal the damage. "Shit… Taichou! He's re-opened the wound and re-torn his left coracobrachialis and biceps brachii."

"Move aside." Retsu commanded as she approached her fallen patient. Burei complied easily.

"I called the emergency team." Burei said after a few moments.

"Good." Retsu replied tensely, hands covering Byakuya's wound, protecting it from the flow of time.

"Crap…" Burei muttered, noticing the strength of the stasis kido his captain was using. "He ripped his brachial artery open didn't he?"

Retsu nodded, too deep in her concentration to respond with words.

"Dumbass…" Burei mumbled as the emergency team arrived and carefully moved Byakuya onto the gurney.

* * *

When Byakuya woke he was greeted by the sight of Burei.

"You really pissed her off, ya know. I don't think I've ever seen her this mad. Makes me wish I'd brought popcorn."

Byakuya didn't have time to respond before Retsu came into his room. At first glance she didn't seem angry. She moved the same, no forceful, jerky motions, and her expression was still one of imperturbable calmness. But when Byakuya looked into her eyes, he saw she was furious.

He suddenly realized why the whole of the Eleventh Division was terrified of her.

She didn't yell at him. She didn't try to hit him. In a way it was worse.

She told him exactly what had happened when he'd overstrained his arm. How each motion ripped and tore the delicate newly healed muscle bit by bit. She told him what would have happened had he not been in the presence of an experienced healer. He would have lost his arm. He would have been unfit for battle.

That struck him the most, that he'd nearly denied himself the prize he'd been struggling for.

Retsu had left after that and Byakuya could have almost sworn he'd seen unshed tears in her eyes.

"She loves you, ya know." Burei said from the wall where he'd passively watched. "I don't think she realizes just how much yet, but she does. You like her more than you think too. Don't mess up again."

Byakuya stared at the nurse as he left, His eyes remained on the door long after Burei had closed it.

_**NOTES**_

-The first sword kata is taken from here: http: (doubleforwardslash) www (dot) gallopskarate (dot) com (forwardslash) katas (forwardslash) swordkataone (dot) php Just take out the spaces and replace the stuff in parentheses. As mentioned I only attempted to use the first ten steps as more would be boring and perhaps overmuch for poor Byakuya. If you a familiar with kendo and or practice it feel free to point out any errors, if I can I'll fix them and if I can't I'll admit to them.

-A kata is "detailed choreographed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs." according to wikipedia. In this fic it is a sword kata being used.


	5. Parking Their Cars On Your Chest

Mercy's Eyes Are Blue

Chapter Four: Parking Their Cars On Your Chest

Bakageta

'_But when they're parking their cars on your chest,_

_You've still got a view of the summer sky_

_To make it hurt twice when your restless body_

_Caves to its whims_

_And suddenly struggles to take flight...'_

_-The Shins; 'Know Your Onion'_

"Kuchiki-taicho?"

A few days after he'd nearly lost his arm a second time, Byakuya was woken by a soft female voice.

"Are you awake, Kuchiki-taicho?"

"Yes." He said as he slowly sat up. He looked over and saw that the woman who had been speaking to him was the fourth division's tall grey-haired vice-captain, Kotetsu Isane. "Why are you here?"

"Ah, well…" she mumbled, intimidated by the noble captain. "I'm here to check your wound and give you Abarai-san's weekly report."

"Why isn't Abarai here?" Byakuya asked, though it was more of a demand.

"The fighting has intensified." Isane said simply. "All the available captains have been put on active duties, half within the Seireitei and half in the living world. Abarai-san went to the living world in your stead."

"Give me Abarai's report." Byakuya commanded and held out his uninjured hand. As soon as Isane gave it to him he began flipping through the handwritten pages.

"This isn't just an increase in fighting." Byakuya said after he'd finished.

"Kuchiki-taicho?"

"This is Aizen's final push."

"What!?" Isane asked shocked.

"The positions the Arrancar are taking, they're trying to encircle Karakura. And the shinigami are inside Karakura, surrounded. How old is this report?"

"Twelve hours." Isane said quietly, in shock.

"Get these to Yamamoto-sou-taicho." Byakuya said, handing the report to Isane and standing. "I'm going to the living world."

"You can't!" Isane said, stopping Byakuya from leaving despite the suddenness of the situation. "Your arm isn't fully healed and—"

"Then heal it." Byakuya said simply. "Heal it and let me go."

"I-I can't, Kuchiki-taichou. The way Unohana-taicho has been healing you is a method that I can't do."

"Then do it the normal way. Retsu and Rukia are both out there, I can't stay here."

"Okay." Isane said after a pause. "Just let me come, Unohana-taicho will need my help and I want to see if Shuuhei is okay."

"You may do as you see fit." Byakuya said.

"Thank you." She said and removed the bandages from Byakuya's arm.

"When I'm done," Isane said, her hands enveloped in a green healing glow, "your arm is going to be stiff because of the scar tissue. Once you get reconditioned it shouldn't bother you too much, but go easy on it until then."

Byakuya noted the truth of Isane's words as he stood, flexing his arm. In addition to a new scar ringing his left bicep, the muscle trembled slightly as he moved his arm to test its range of motion.

"Put these on while I get your Zanpakuto." Isane said when she handed him some Shihakusho.

* * *

Byakuya stood in the sky on the edge of the battlefield, Isane had headed towards the fourth division's medical station as soon as they'd arrived. He looked a bit disheveled, in the rush to leave Seireitei he had only had time to dress in Shihakusho and had left all of the marks of rank that he usually wore; his coat, scarf, and kenseikan.

Several high-level reiatsu blared in his senses, but none were the two he was looking for. He was still sifting through the various reiatsu until he found one he was looking for. It was Retsu's calm and strong, she wasn't in danger. Now he searched for Rukia.

Predictably, she was nearly buried in Ichigo's reiatsu. But the difference between the two was greater than it should have been. Byakuya flew into a flash-step, racing towards the center of Karakura where he could feel Ichigo's wild reiatsu pounding against some Arrancar's and, underneath it all, Rukia's guttering life-force.

Once he was close enough to see the fight Byakuya halted to assess the situation, no matter how worried he was he wouldn't rush into a fight without a plan. Ichigo was fairly beaten up but the Arrancar he was fighting, an Espada judging by reiatsu, had taken on nearly the same amount of damage, what really concerned Byakuya however was Rukia. She was in exactly the condition her reiatsu suggested, and though Ichigo was doing his best to protect her he couldn't defeat the Arrancar and protect Rukia at the same time.

Having seen all he needed to, Byakuya leapt into the fight unleashing Senbonzakura as he went. He landed behind Ichigo and used his Zanpakuto's Shikai to hold off the Arrancar.

"Byakuya?!" Ichigo gasped in surprise.

"Now is not the time, Kurosaki." Byakuya said focusing more on distracting the Arrancar than on the substitute shinigami. "Aizen is trying to form the King's key, he has Karakura surrounded." He paused to let the information sink in. "You need to go stop him."

"I can't just leave Rukia!"

"I will take her to the fourth division's station." Byakuya said.

"Fine." Ichigo said after a moment's pause.

Byakuya picked his adopted sister up before calling a halt to Senbonzakura's assault on the Arrancar. He left Ichigo to finish it off; flash-stepping towards the Medical Station with Senbonzakura still unsealed chasing after him occasionally lashing out at a hollow that came too close.

Minutes later Byakuya arrived at the fourth division's medical station. He found Retsu there waiting for him.

"Isane told me you were coming." She said in lieu of a greeting. "She also told me of the situation, we're evacuating as we speak."

She seemed cold, and Byakuya wondered if it was because she was angry at him still or if it was because of all the injuries and deaths she had surely had to deal with since she came to the front lines. Maybe both he thought.

"The next evacuation party is preparing to leave now." Retsu said quietly. "Take her to them and she'll be taken immediately to the Fourth Division Center in Seireitei."

The way Retsu was acting was something Byakuya was familiar with. She was shell shocked. He'd seen it in his own division members countless times before he'd been injured and even before the beginning of the Winter War after particularly bad hollow attacks.

She was about to walk away but Byakuya grabbed her shoulder before she could leave.

"Retsu-san," He said, nearly forgetting the honorific, "Are you okay?"

"Yes." She said, staring at the ground.

"Are you okay?" Byakuya asked again.

Retsu looked him in the eyes this time.

"I guess not, if even you can tell." She said softly. "It's just, I knew it would be this bad, and I've seen it this bad, but after such a long time of peace, I forgot what it was like to lose more lives than I save."

Before Byakuya was able to say anything he heard the too familiar sound of a scratching record. There was a sudden red flash and noise as the cero hit the Medical Station.


	6. The Cracks Where Fall and Winter Collide

Mercy's Eyes Are Blue

Chapter Five: The Cracks Where Fall and Winter Collide

Bakageta

'_Before we take this ride and let it slide_

_Into the cracks where fall and winter collide._

_I surrender all my gall in a song of modern love._

_Remember you're the one who summoned me above any other kind.'_

_-The Shins; 'Girl on the Wing'_

With a hacking cough, Byakuya rose carefully out of the debris left in the cero's wake with Rukia still unconscious in his arms. He'd shielded her with his own body and his still released Zanpakuto had cut down any building shrapnel large enough to have done serious harm to its wielder. Despite Senbonzakura's efforts he still had sustained a few wounds but the bleeding had already slowed; they could be easily fixed with a simple healing kido.

Byakuya surveyed the damage. The former Medical Station had been almost completely annihilated. Luckily most had been evacuated and the healers had protected the Senkaimon gate with barrier kido preventing it from collapsing and trapping the evacuees inside the Dangai. A few feet away from him Retsu stood up and dusted herself off.

"Retsu-san," Byakuya said, catching Retsu's attention. "I'm going to take Rukia back to Seireitei. Once she is safely there I will come back and help."

"You shouldn't come back, you're injured." Retsu said as she adjusted her Zanpakuto on her shoulder.

"These gashes? They won't even slow me down, but I will have them healed."

Retsu's eyes flicked briefly to his left arm.

"You don't trust your vice-captain's work?" Byakuya asked.

"No, I'd trust my life to Isane's healing." Retsu replied. "It's just… she shouldn't have had to heal your arm like that. If I'd only paid more attention during therapy… Then you would have been out here from the start, and maybe this," she gestured to the destruction surrounding them both, "wouldn't have happened."

"That's not like you. You're forgetting all of those you have saved, and my injuries are the result of my own impatience."

There was a small silence before Retsu spoke.

"You're right, but I still wish you would stay in Seireitei."

"I could say the same to you. But," Byakuya looked down to Rukia's unconscious body resting in his arms, "you have your own battles to fight, and who am I to stop you?"

Byakuya headed for the still open Senkaimon leaving Retsu behind to care for the few remaining wounded. Once inside he resealed Senbonzakura and walked the short distance into Seireitei.

Unsurprisingly the gate opened directly into the Fourth division's medical wards and as soon as he was clear of it he was approached by the medical staff. He laid Rukia carefully onto one of the stretchers and stood back as the Fourth division medics gathered around and began working to stabilize her vitals. Byakuya caught the eye of one of the senior medics.

"She is Kuchiki Rukia." He told the medic.

"We will do our best for her," the medic's eyes widened as he realized who he was speaking to, "Kuchiki-sama."

Byakuya remained in the fourth Division for only a few more minutes, waiting impatiently as one of the medics went to work on his small wounds. As soon as he was healed he left through the Senkaimon weaving through the incoming flow of the wounded.

When he reached the other side of the gate, Byakuya didn't immediately emerge. The scene outside was completely different from what it had been minutes ago when he'd left.

The few remaining injured were all standing, regardless of their wounds, and they all bore a black sun-shaped mark on their heads. About thirty-five of them were positioned in a rough perimeter around the former Medical Station; they all faced inward staring blankly at five others who had someone surrounded, though they were too tightly packed for Byakuya to see who.

An Arrancar, already in his resurrección form, was positioned a few yards away from the struggle, he was watching closely as if waiting for an opening. The Arrancar was one of the more strange looking ones Byakuya had seen in his time in the Winter War. His body was spattered with eyes, most with their pupils completely dilated. The Arrancar also lacked legs, instead his lower body resembled a pink paper lantern, and he hovered a few inches above the ground instead of standing.

Satisfied that he'd gotten a good enough look at the battlefield he was sure he would soon be fighting in, Byakuya stepped out of the Senkaimon. The Arrancar turned to face him almost immediately after he'd emerged.

"Another shinigami?" The Arrancar asked aloud. "It seems I should have destroyed that gate when I had the chance. But that doesn't matter; I ask that you hold still while I kill your Captain."

The struggle near the Arrancar had ceased. The five marked shinigami were all restraining an injured Retsu, those that could reach were holding the blades of their Zanpakuto against her neck. The Arrancar had turned to face Retsu and one of his eye's pupils was widening; Byakuya wasn't completely sure of what would happen, but he knew that it wouldn't have a good outcome.

"Bakudo Eighty-one! Splitting Void!" Byakuya shouted as he used a flash-step to place himself between Retsu and the Arrancar.

When he looked at the barrier he'd created Byakuya saw that its surface was marred by a sun-shaped mark like those on the shinigami that held Retsu. Though he didn't show it, Byakuya was relieved, whatever technique the Arrancar was using could be blocked with Kido.

There was a rustling noise behind him. Byakuya glanced over his shoulder and saw that two of the five restraining Retsu had broken away from her and were moving to attack him.

"Bakudo Sixty-one! Six Rods Prison of Light!" With a twist of will Byakuya expanded the scope of the Kido so that it covered the five standing behind him. He didn't need to check to know that all five had been bound still, unable to harm either him or Retsu. He let the barrier between himself and the Arrancar fall.

"I've misjudged you, shinigami, I apologize. Who are you?"

"A being such as you has no need to know the name of their executioner." Byakuya responded coldly.

For a moment the Arrancar's face twisted in rage, but when he spoke again it was blank and expressionless.

"Not giving your name to an equal opponent? You, shinigami, are truly arrogant. But I believe you should know my name, so I will tell you. I am the Septima Espada, Zommari LeRoux."

Byakuya responded by drawing Senbonzakura and holding it in front of him, ready to be released.

"It is not arrogance when the difference in power is as great as that between you and I."

Byakuya paused getting one last look around the area before the true fight started; he would most likely need to bind the other shinigami on the perimeter to keep them from interfering. In the distance he could feel the huge amounts of power released by his fellow captains, and he could feel Ichigo, whose power felt almost like it had when he'd fought the masked thing, clashing against Aizen. Right now, though, those other fights didn't concern him.

"Chire, Senbonzakura." Byakuya commanded, allowing his blade to disintegrate before gathering both of their energies and casting the Six Rods Prison of Light over all of the marked shinigami. He panted slightly from the effort but at least now he could be certain that none of them would be able to interrupt.

"Interesting," Zommari observed. "You know nothing of my power, and yet it seems you've already come up with a plan."

"You assume I don't know anything of your ability? One could consider that a kind of arrogance." Byakuya asked, Senbonzakura swirling threateningly around him. "I know it is a sort of possession, and, judging from the condition of your eyes, it is most likely limited in its number of uses. Your ability can be blocked by kido. Also, I would guess that you cannot easily release those you've possessed, otherwise you would have abandoned the shinigami I've bound."

Zommari glared and responded by raising one of his hands, revealing yet another eye. Its pupil quickly began expanding. Byakuya threw himself into a short flash-step in an attempt to dodge.

"Did you manage to avoid it, shinigami?" Zommari asked, almost teasingly. "There is one way to find out. Come here."

Byakuya watched in shock as his right arm jerked towards Zommari. The back of his right hand was branded with the same sun mark as the possessed shinigami.

Had he been anyone else Byakuya would have sworn. Instead he grimaced slightly and, with a small gesture, commanded some of Senbonzakura's thousand blades to lance through the flesh of his right arm, severing the tendons and preventing it from moving.

"An interesting choice of action." Zommari observed.

Byakuya didn't give him a chance to say anything else. With the barest of gestures he sent Senbonzakura's blades raging towards each of the Arrancar's eyes. Zommari moved quickly out of the way and Byakuya called his blades back towards the Arrancar.

"It seems your blades are unable to catch me, shinigami. In your arrogance you have underestimated me." Zommari observed after he dodged Senbonzakura several more times.

"It's not that I can't catch you," Byakuya said calmly, raising his arm, "I just thought you'd appreciate the chance to run away. You see when I use my hands to direct Senbonzakura, its speed increases exponentially, so, if you can use your form of flash-step in that shape, I would recommend that you run."

That said, Byakuya brought his arm down, sending Senbonzakura towards Zommari at a blazingly fast speed. The Arrancar never stood a chance.

When the blades had done their job and had returned back to Byakuya, all of Zommari's eyes had been gouged out. The only thing left were bleeding sockets. The Arrancar was still alive thanks to his hierro, which had protected his body to a degree but had done nothing for his eyes.

Byakuya gave him no chance to do anything. As soon as all of Senbonzakura's tiny blades had returned he sealed the sword once again. Then, with effort, he slipped into the familiar motions of _Senka_; stabbing Zommari twice at a speed most eyes could never even hope to follow.

Zommari fell to the ground with a soft thump and when Byakuya turned to look the Arrancar had almost completely dissolved into reishi. His right arm twitched slightly as Zommari's control over it disappeared, and when Byakuya looked he saw that the marks had faded from the heads of the surrounding shinigami as well.

With a sigh of relief, Byakuya used his remaining energy to release the binding kido. Once he'd unbound them, both the previously possessed shinigami and Byakuya himself fell to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

Byakuya woke feeling groggy and uncoordinated, he felt an urge to go back to sleep, but he resisted. There was something he needed to find out.

Slowly he managed to raise his head and open his eyes.

"Is she okay?" He asked hoarsely.

"Ah! Kuchiki-sama! You're not supposed to be up yet!" A vaguely familiar nurse, Byakuya couldn't quite remember her name.

"Is she okay?" Byakuya asked again.

"She? You mean Kuchiki Rukia-sama? She's fine." The nurse answered. "Now could you please go to sleep? You're not supposed to be up yet, and I don't want to have to use Kido."

"No. I need to know if she's okay." Byakuya said as deliberately as his exhausted mind would allow. "Is Retsu okay?"

The nurse gaped impolitely.

"U-Unohana-taicho… Kuchiki-sama wants to know if you're okay." She mumbled.

There was a soft sound of footsteps as Retsu walked into Byakuya's range of vision.

"I'm fine, Byakuya-sama." Retsu said, smiling softly.

"Good." Byakuya said quietly.

He laid his head back down, and, with effort, reached out to Retsu with his unbandaged left hand. She grasped it gently.

"I'm not sure what I would have done if you hadn't survived." Byakuya said before drifting back to sleep, still holding Retsu's hand.

_Mercy's Eyes are Blue: End_

Please, keep an eye out for the epilogue.


	7. A Whole Mess of Roads

Mercy's Eyes Are Blue

Epilogue: A Whole Mess of Roads

Bakageta

'It's a luscious mix of words and tricks

That let us bet when we know we should fold.

On rocks, I dreamt of where we'd stepped

And of the whole mess of roads we're now on.'

--The Shins, 'Caring is Creepy'

_**--In Which Byakuya is Rudely Awakened**_

Pain, Byakuya was in pain. His pain varied in intensity depending on its location, but, as he unwillingly drifted up from unconsciousness, he decided that the repetitive sharp jabbing pain in the right side of his face was the worst. He pried his eye open just in time to see a finger coming straight towards him and then reflexively close it. The pain in his face spiked.

"You awake? Good. Your face was starting to bruise." Burei said as Byakuya opened his eyes.

Byakuya managed some sort of mumbled response.

"That would be the sedatives." Burei commented as he held up a syringe he'd seemingly taken from nowhere and tapped it lightly.

Byakuya glared.

"And this would be the counteragent." Burei said as he administered the injection.

Byakuya attempted to speak again but his words came out garbled.

"Fortunately for me, it doesn't work instantly." Burei said ominously. "For the next five minutes, I can pretty much do whatever I want, and all you'll be able to do is twitch and gargle."

Another glare.

"Sorry, that doesn't work on me." Burei said, and then leaned over Byakuya, conspiratorially. "A word of warning, Unohana-taichou is like a mother to almost everyone in this division. If you upset her, we will get you."

Burei left, whistling.

_**--In Which Byakuya Overhears the Results of a Bet**_

The wheelchair was one of many things that Byakuya would not miss about his stay at the fourth division.

At least, he thought as he rolled down the hallway, he could move under his own power now. Isane had done a wonderful job of healing his arm, even if she had given him a very strange scar. But for some inane reason Shinsetsu still insisted he travel the division in a wheelchair, despite being perfectly capable of walking.

But he had managed to find one good thing that the wheelchair allowed him to do: it allowed him to go beneath people's lines of sight. So long as no one pushed him and he didn't wear any marks of his rank, people only saw a man in a wheelchair and not Kuchiki Byakuya in a wheelchair. It also introduced him to fourth division gossip, specifically the betting pool.

"Did you hear that Burei got Shinsetsu to get into a bet with him again?" One gossip asked another.

"I did! I heard it was about Kuchiki-sama…" The second trailed off, she had the attention of the first gossip as well as Byakuya, though he didn't show it, but the gossips paid him no attention.

"It was! Burei bet her that Byakuya would keep going around in a wheelchair it Shinsetsu told him he had to…" The first trailed off now, signaling the second to start jabbering about how gullible Shinsetsu was and how much of a ne'er-do-well Burei was.

Byakuya had stood up and was walking back to his room, wondering which of the two he should make miserable.

_**--In Which Byakuya Visits His Sister**_

Rukia was asleep when Byakuya visited her. He thought this was for the best; she would sleep through the bad news he bore and be happy for at least a short while longer.

"I'm sure you would not be surprised," He began without preamble, "But we won. More specifically, Kurosaki won."

That was true, though the forces of the Gotei 13 had played a role in bringing down many of Aizen's Arrancar; it was Ichigo who had toppled the man himself.

"There were almost no casualties among the upper-level Shinigami."

Another good thing he knew, foot soldiers were more easily replaced than officers.

"However, we have so far been unable to locate Kurosaki."

_**--In Which Byakuya Has a Conversation That Could Lead to Other Things**_

Kuchiki Byakuya was happy as he slipped into his captain's coat for the first time in months. He'd finally been declared well enough to leave the fourth division's care and was wasting no time in leaving. Senbonzakura was back at his side again and gently scolding him as he dressed himself.

He hesitated on the cool, bone white kenseikan before deciding that they could wait until after he'd bathed in his own bath and not the strange showers that the fourth division used for their speed and efficiency. Next was the scarf, and, as he carefully wound the fabric over his shoulders and around his neck, Unohana Retsu entered his room.

"I imagine you're happy to be leaving?" She asked as Byakuya finished.

"I am."

"Most are." Retsu said. "I wanted to wish you well before you left, Byakuya-sama."

"Thank you, but, Unohana-san; it isn't as if you won't see me when I return to my duties."

"I know." Retsu was quiet for a few moments before continuing. "I think that if I can call you by your first name, then you can do the same for me."

"Retsu-san." Byakuya said, as if trying it out.

They were quiet for some time before Byakuya spoke again.

"If we can both call each other by name, then I believe I wouldn't be too forward in inviting you to tea."

Retsu's small smile was enough oh an answer for both of them.

_**--In Which Byakuya Relaxes by the Waterside, Sort Of**_

Byakuya had one week remaining until he would officially be put back on active duty.

One more week of relaxation, of being himself instead of the sixth division captain. Not that, he admitted, there was a large difference between the two.

Byakuya breathed peacefully as he sat by one of the many large koi ponds located in and around the gardens of the Kuchiki manor. A steaming cup of tea rested at his right and in front of him brilliantly colored koi-fish drifted through the still water. He believed that it wasn't possible for a more relaxing setting to exist.

He had almost dozed off when he heard footsteps approaching. He didn't sigh, that wasn't something the head of the Kuchiki did, but he would have if he'd been someone else.

"Kuchiki-taichou?"

"Yes, Abarai?"

"I know you don't go back on duty for another week, sir, but these papers need your signature specifically." At least Renji had the decency to sound apologetic, even if it was very awkward.

"Give them to me, then."

Again, were he anyone else, Byakuya would have sighed.

Renji did, and as Byakuya read over the documents he realized that they were the kind of thing that needed him to sign off, not something that could be handled by the acting captain. He finished after a few minutes and handed the papers back to his vice-captain.

"Thank you, sir."

"It was necessary."

"Yeah." A slight pause. "We'll be glad to have you back, Kuchiki-taichou."

Byakuya nodded, he would be glad to be back as well. He could only relax for so long before he became bored.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And finally we have the epilogue for Mercy's Eyes, I don't have too much to say about it. However, I'd like you to keep a lookout for Arwen Dark Sorceress of Fate's soon-to-be-posted fic "Hourglass", which is a sequel to Mercy's Eyes are Blue.

Thank you for reading, I hope you review.

* * *


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